by Ella Jackson
Ricky looked at me and grinned broadly. "You, uh, ready to get going to training...tiger?" The pause before the word 'tiger' here was just a little bit too deliberate to be anything other than mocking.
I resisted the urge to punch him, and settled for flipping him the bird, as gracefully as possible. "Let's go...tiger."
By the time we'd reached the training facility, Keisha and Ricky had become fast friends, teaming up to pick on me, in fact. Ricky was regaling her with stories about my misadventures at training, and she was laughing uncontrollably. Although I loved to hear her laugh, open and carefree, I would have preferred if it had been about something something slightly different.
"So you're telling me," Keisha said, as we pulled into the carpark, "that three girls were chasing him, across the field, without anything on?" She looked at me, and put a hand up to try and stifle her laughter.
"I swear it!" Ricky slapped the back of my seat with glee. "I've never seen him move that fast in a game before. Like a flash, he was across the field, and he took the fence in one jump."
I turned around to scowl at him. "As I remember it, Cortez, they were there hoping to find you, but you were off signing autographs out of sight. I was a poor substitute. Which I was happy to be."
"Anything you say, bro." Ricky chuckled fulsomely. "Just let me know if you want some tips, okay?"
"I do not," I muttered, "want any tips on having groupies chasing me. Not now, not ever."
Ricky and I headed for the changing rooms, where the rest of the team was already getting ready, and Keisha went to hunt for Jessie. By the time we were out and on the field, Jessie and Keisha were installed at the end of the coaches' box, watching us intently.
She pulled her attention away from talking to Jessie and looked over at me, her eyes shining. I swear to God she was even more beautiful than the first time I saw her; I wanted to go and tell her so right away, but I need to keep my head in the game at training.
“So this is the last attacking play.” Will was giving us more instructions. "For this one, Dale, you should come up and let the other guys cover defense. Sometimes we're going to need to throw caution to the wind and just attack, and when we do, we need to be able to switch on to it right away."
We reviewed the plays again and again, and as soon as we got a break I jogged over to where Jessie and Keisha are. "Hey, everything OK?"
"Sure thing, Dale." Jessie smiled at me. "Keisha's been telling me all about her take on the Thunderbirds. I think you're going to like it."
“Well…” I wanted to believe her, but I was still a little nervous. I hated that I couldn't hide now from the woman who meant so much to me.
“Seriously. She's picked up a lot about soccer tactics," Jessie smiled. "And the dirty business of running a team, as well."
I looked at Keisha, and she looked up at me innocently. "Hey, it's all research."
“Is this what you like now?” I pretended to be exasperated. "Always digging up something, huh?"
Jessie laughed. "I need to to talk to Ricky. Have fun, kids. Dale, you've got five minutes before we start again."
I watched Keisha with my breath caught in my chest as she leaned forward, her eyes wide as she looked up at me. I took deep breaths, either to get more oxygen, or because of what her looking at me did to me.
Happy endings don’t happen for people like me, not with someone as loving and kind as her.
She looked down for a moment, and then spoke. "Dale, watching you out there means a lot to me. I’m in this seriously, Dale, and I will do my best to prove it to you every damn day that you’ll let me."
I took a moment to collect my thoughts, and she continued. “And I’m whatever you want me to be, just as long as you know that I have never, ever, felt this way about someone in my entire life. Just trust me."
I nodded. "I will, I promise." The whole time, I kept stopping myself while she was talking, to look around me and realize how goddamn lucky I am right now. But the thing was, Keisha was a part of me now, and choosing to make her part of our family was a priority for me.
“You didn’t even do your whole pro sports-alpha-male-athlete thing.” She shook her head, and then took my hand in hers, turning serious again. "You make me happy, make me want to do everything I can for you."
When she said those words to me, the ones that caught my heart, I wasn’t able to respond. All I could do was stand there with a dumb smile on my face. I knew I had a choice to make, but I didn’t know how long I had to make it.
As if reading my mind Keisha looked me in the eyes.
I took her face in my hands, and her lips parted for me. “I think that's what love does to someone.”
“You love me?” Her voice raises a few octaves too high.
“I think so.” I don’t know what that means, but I hope it means she won't run from me.
She smiled so wide it reaches up to her eyes. “The feeling is mutual.”
Fifteen
Keisha
A tremor went through my hands, and Dale patted my arm reassuringly. "It's going to be fine, babe. Honestly."
I shouldn't be nervous, but it's hard not to. I had to hope that Daisy likes me, and that wasn't a foregone conclusion. Sure, I got on okay with kids, but I'd never been in this kind of situation before.
Dale's hand found my shoulder, and squeezed. “Hey, babe. You okay?”
“Sure. I’ll explain later,” I didn't know what to say to him.
Daisy sounded like a lovely girl with a head on her shoulders, and I don’t want Dale to have to explain to her why I'm hanging around. Nicole and Jessie are the only female friends who have ever been there for me.
All of this feels so surreal. I'm going to meet Dale Williams' daughter.
We got out of the car, and Dale hugged me from behind. I gripped his hands in mine, never wanting to let go. His face broke into a smile, and he whispered, "there's nothing to worry about, okay?"
In front of us at the school gate stood a kindly-looking lady in her fifties with a bright yellow dress. Dale waved to her, and she beamed when she saw us together.
"Ah, Mr. Williams!" she said cheerfully, and turned to me. ”You must be Keisha.”
At first, her reaction cought me off guard, and then I looked at Dale smiling bashfully, and it made sense. He turned to me. "I, uh, took the liberty of mentioning to Ms. Cooke that you'd be coming to pick up Daisy. I hope that's OK."
She looked down at me with a motherly expression, although she's hardly old enough to be my mother. "I'm so glad to meet you, Keisha. Daisy will be out soon. Now, do please excuse me for a moment." She turned away to talk to some other parents, and Dale squeezed my shoulder.
“You’re a natural.” Whatever the reason, one thing was for sure: he was determined to make sure I felt like a success here.
“Mr. Williams, thank you.” I tried not to be too sarcastic, but it was hard, and he rolled his eyes at me.
“You know,” he lowered his voice so that only I can hear, as Ms. Cooke talked happily to the waiting parents, “it’s because you bring out a different side of me. It hasn’t even been a week, and I’m already being nicer to people. Seriously."
“I want to how long it lasts," I laughted, pulling him in for a quick kiss.
“Keisha,” he said, extending his hand for mine. “Look at me,” he demanded and I did, struggling to keep my composure when his touch turns gentle and his eyes soften with his voice. "I'm changing because of you. I really am. I would never have introduced anyone to Daisy like this before, but you...you make things different. You make things worthwhile."
I nearly choked up, and tried not to say anything. "I...that means a lot to me, Dale. Thankyou."
"Daddy!" I heard a shriek from a distance away, and Dale stiffened and looked up, releasing me. A small girl who was unmistakably his daughter ran toward us, arms outstretched.
"Sweetheart!" Dale scooped her up and swung her around in a hug. He turned to face me, holding her. "Keisha, this is Daisy. Daisy,
I'd like you to meet Keisha."
Small grey eyes regarded me solemnly, and a small hand was outstretched. "Good-morning-Keisha-pleased-to-meet-you."
I smiled, and shook her hand with equal solemnity. "I'm pleased to meet you too, Daisy. Did you have a good day at school?"
She nodded, and continued to regard me. Dale chuckled. "When she gets used to you, she won't be able to stop her talking, believe me." He swung her around again, prompting a squeal, and put her down on the ground. "Now, kiddo, we need to get home. There's a dog who is looking forward to seeing you as well, you know."
Daisy pulled her gaze from Dale and looked up at me. "Is Keisha coming with us?"
"Yes, she is. She's met Cyrus already, and you need feeding."
“Of course Daddy.” The girl smiled so wide that it reached up to her eyes.
Back at Dale's house, Daisy played happily on the rug with Cyrus as Dale handed me a cup of coffee.
"She likes you."
I sipped my coffee and looked at him quizzically. "I hope so. Although we didn't talk much."
"Oh, you will, believe me." He had a wry smile. "She's a little chatterbox when she gets going. Must get that from her mother; it sure as heck doesn't come from me."
I felt a pang of guilt for being so happy, in the aftermath of his loss. I’m not sure what the story was, but I knew that when he was ready to talk about it, he would.
"I was resigned to being alone, Keisha. Bringing up Daisy on my own was fine with me, and I didn't plan on anything different. But when I talked to you, I saw intelligence and kindness, and I saw a girl who knew how to have fun, even if she rarely ventured out to do it.”
He sank down onto the cushion next to me so we can share, his weight causing such a large hole that I roll closer to him until our legs are touching. I frowned at him. "Hey, I can have fun, mister. I've just been a little...preoccupied, that's all."
He laughed and leaned over to kiss my neck. "I can tell." A shriek made us look up. Cyrus was merciless in her love and need for affection, and Daisy squealed happily as she chases the dog around the room, tongue hanging out of her mouth, wanting nothing from her but attention.
I thought about Dale's devotion to his daughter, and I wondered if I could do the same thing; if I could devote myself to someone so completely. I can almost feel him in deep, into the hopeless, dark parts of me I never go, like he’s willing everything forward and out into the open.
"Ever since I became a professional soccer player, I've been determined to make sure that Daisy wanted for nothing." His voice was quiet. "She deserves to have a stable home life, as much as I can give her one, not have me travelling from one place to another like most sportsmen."
I nodded. His words filled me with so many emotions, but sadness was the one I felt most.
“This isn’t about us, Keisha.” Dale took my hands in his, and his eyes locked on mine, his expression serious.
“Okay,” I said, turning my face up to him. "You know I'm here to do anything you want, right? I understand how important your family is to you.”
My hand moved to his hand, the tension in my chest that's been here all day easing with our touch, but there’s still a swell of confusion and worry as I sort through it all.
"Thanks, Keisha. I hope you know how much that means to me."
I returned his smile. “Of course I do.” I slid easily into his body, his arm looping around me as I pressed my cheek into his chest, closing my eyes as he held me to him.
“That’s my girl.”
Daisy ran up to us, and put one hand on each of our knees. "Daddy, will Keisha be staying for dinner?"
He looked at me. "If she wants to, yes."
I nodded vigorously. "I'd love to." Turning my head to Daisy, I smiled at her. "Thankyou for asking, Daisy."
Watching Daisy play with Cyrus reminded me a lot of my brother when he was little. She had the same unfettered joy and happiness with everything that happened, and it was infectious. I could see it on Dale's face as much as my own.
He turned to me and held my eyes with his. He was so full of hope and optimism when he looked at his daughter; being able to be there with him made me enjoy every minute of it.
Daisy came up to me and held out her hand, a small object in it. Taking it from her, I realised it was a Thunderbirds patch. I opened my mouth to thank her, and she shook her head. "I've had this since we came here. Now it's yours. It means that you’re on our team too.”
This made her dad’s smile grow into a full-blown grin that made his dark eyes shine as they shifted from me to Daisy and back again. I took it very carefully, and put it over my heart. She nodded again, and then turned and ran for the doorway, chasing Cyrus.
"That was very sweet." I kissed Dale on the cheek, and he smiled.
"She beat me to it. I was going to do the same thing, although maybe with a slightly larger item." He reached behind the sofa, and handed me a Thunderbirds team shirt. "Here, this is for you. I hope this isn't compromising your journalistic integrity too much."
I shook my head and stretched the purple fabric over my shoulders, trying it for size. "I think as long as I don't wear it until after I finish my article, I can probably get away with it. "
"Daisy will love you wearing it. She gets very excited when she sees someone new wearing a Thunderbirds jersey." I snuggled into Dale's arms, and we were quiet for a moment. I loved this, but my mind kept returning to Daisy. What would happen to her if I ruined things between me and Dale?
Sixteen
Keisha
After ensuring my legs are still wrapped firmly around his waist, I slid one arm around his back while I used the other as leverage on the edge of the table, pushing myself up off my knees and to my feet. Dale tangled his fingers in my hair, but before he can tug me away, I adjusted my angle and took him all the way inside me, feeling the solid steel of his cock.
Almost before I can begin to gasp, he was lifting me up with his strong arms, and then I was being slowly impaled, in and out. I took a deep breath and buried my face in his chest.
I let him take me, content in the fact that the two of us could kiss and fool around in secret, and then when we were done, we can get to his training event.
“Oh my God, Keisha,” he growled loudly, pulling out of me. "I can't get enough of you." I kissed my way back down his body until his cock is directly in front of my face, and I looked up into his eyes while I reached out with my tongue and ran it around the tip of his cock.
I smirked. "Good, that's how I want it." I stood up, and guided him back inside me, mounting him on the bed. When his fingers slid between us and hit that sensitive spot at the top of my sex, the pleasure magnified again, and my body gave him permission to move with a rock of my hips. We moved together, perfectly synchronised, Dale underneath me, his hands on my hips, thrusting up into me with every movement. He groaned with pleasure, a deep sound of pure satisfaction, and the noise filled his bedroom.
I tossed my hair back and wondered 'who is this wanton woman?' I hardly recognise myself - the quiet-living reporter - naked astride a pro athlete in his mansion.
Two weeks ago, I would have refused to believe this could ever happen to me, and yet, now it's happened, I can't imagine life being any different. Underneath me, Dale started pushing into me harder, gripping my hips almost tight enough to leave marks. I felt my orgasm coming and put both hands on his broad chest, steadying myself as he thrust into me, faster and faster.
"Oh, fuck, Keisha, that's -" He groaned again, and I felt him explode inside me, tipping me over the edge, my thighs tensing around him, taking everything he gave me, and wanting more, wanting this not to stop.
I was unsure about coming to the strategy and planning meeting in the middle of the week, for the game on Saturday, but Dale was insistent.
"Come on. Think of it as an important part of your research for your story."
"Okay, I guess." I was a bit dubious. But part of me was still nervous about being seen with Dale, and hav
ing him be publicly identified as my partner. Sure, we weren't doing anything wrong; but it was just…so cliche.
It sounds like a bad Hollywood story, right? Reporter falls for hot athlete, cue hot sex, all that. If someone had written that and sent it to me for editing, I would have put a bunch of red lines through the whole damn thing.
But, it wasn't a story; it was my real life now, and my head was still spinning wondering what to make of it. Dale was quiet, but once you got to know him, he was kind, generous and incredibly sexy. I kept wondering when I would wake up from this crazy dream, and wanting to pinch myself to make sure I was still in reality.
Every day Dale and I were together, I discovered something new about him; something that made me fall for him a little bit more.
We climbed out of his car, and headed back into the training facility. Jessie was there already, first as usual, seated at a desk tapping away on her laptop intently. She looked up, and her face broke into a smile.
"Hey guys!" Jumping up from the table, she came and wrapped us both in a hug, not an easy job for someone short as she was.
Dale's expression of surprise suggested that this wasn't something which happened very often. "Hey, uhh, Jessie." He returned the hug, quite obviously, being careful, not wanting to squash her.
We made eye contact behind his back and she smiled at me, her mouth forming into letters that looked like the word 'later '.
Poor Dale; I had a feeling that hugs like this were to be a more regular part of his future from now on.
"Hey, you two!" Behind me, Will Dempsey had arrived, tall and commanding, with a dark-haired, broad-shouldered woman at his side. She looked at me carefully, and broke into a grin.
"You must be Keisha, the reporter. Will's told me a lot about you." Her voice was measured and authoritative. "I'm Tanya. It's so good to have you here."
I smiled back, and shook a hand. "Thanks, but I'm really just here to write a story. I confess that I don't know much about soccer."